This week, Aubrey junior Madison Houck came to our club to talk about her time with RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards). Madison attended the leadership development program at Texas Woman's University from June 27-30.
Madison with Immediate Past President Shane Kading
Madison, a junior at Aubrey High School, spoke about how RYLA pushed her out of her comfort zone but gave her opportunities to grow. She was encouraged by her mother, Shannon, to attend.
She got to stay in the dorms for four days and get a little taste of college life. Once there, they were sorted into "families" of eight attendees, along with two counselors, who became their pod during the conference. There were between 80-100 total attendees.
Once there, their family had entire days to teach them about leadership and how to be an effective group. They also took on a service project, which for Madison's family included cleaning roads and landscaping buildings in the area.
Thank you, Madison, for sharing your experiences with us!
The club also discussed with both Aubrey and Pilot Point superintendents (Dr. Shannon Saylor and Dr. Shannon Fuller) on how to get more local high schoolers involved in the RYLA program moving forward.